These come from plants developed at tea research stations in the Sochi region of Russia. Glossy, medium-green leaves are medium to large in size. They perform beautifully and growers in Zone 6b have reported good cold hardiness and vigor. The plants tend to make many stems from ground level for a very bushy plant. Very cold hardy and suitable for making white, green, oolong, and black teas. Camellia sinensis likes lots of water but will not grow where water will stand. The second year the plants are established and starting to grow vigorously, it’s time to prune them off short again. This is what needs to be done to start the plant branching out. The plant would otherwise shoot up tall and straight into a twenty foot shrub, but for tea production the bush needs to look more like an azalea bush. Plants produce more robust teas when grown in full sun but young plants planted in direct sun will not survive. It’s best to protect the plants from direct sun the first full year. See here for a fuller description. Hardy to Zones 6b-9. Photo courtesy of Camellia Forest Nursery.
Camellia sinensis ‘Sochi’ Tea
Description
These come from plants developed at tea research stations in the Sochi region of Russia. Glossy, medium-green leaves are medium to large in size. They perform beautifully and growers in Zone 6b have reported good cold hardiness and vigor. The plants tend to make many stems from ground level for a very bushy plant. Very cold hardy and suitable for making white, green, oolong, and black teas. Camellia sinensis likes lots of water but will not grow where water will stand. The second year the plants are established and starting to grow vigorously, it’s time to prune them off short again. This is what needs to be done to start the plant branching out. The plant would otherwise shoot up tall and straight into a twenty foot shrub, but for tea production the bush needs to look more like an azalea bush. Plants produce more robust teas when grown in full sun but young plants planted in direct sun will not survive. It’s best to protect the plants from direct sun the first full year. See here for a fuller description. Hardy to Zones 6b-9. Photo courtesy of Camellia Forest Nursery.
